accessibility for specialized populations in one-stop ... · • referrals to built-in funding...

Accessibility for Specialized Populations in One-stop Employment Centres:Best Practices from the UK, US and Australia

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Presented by:

Hosted by:

Wendy Bancroft, it’s about us research

BC Centre for Employment Excellence

Agenda5 mins Welcome & Introductions45 mins Presentation10 mins Discussion

We encourage you to ask questions! We will address them during

and after the presentation. To submit a question:

Use the “Questions” tab at the right of your screen (at any time

during the presentation.)

Welcome & Agenda

Webinar for Career Practitioners

May 21st, 2014

Presented by Wendy Bancroft, it’s about us research

Accessibility for Specialized Populations in One-stop Employment Centres:Best Practices from the UK, US and Australia

About the study

The EPBC

How one-stops work in other jurisdictions

Best practices along the pathway to employment and beyond

Things that make a difference

| BC CENTRE FOR EMPLOYMENT EXCELLENCE 4

Webinar

One-stop comprehensive approach to serving all unemployed British Columbians looking for work.

Implemented in April 2012

All job seekers can access services through

the one umbrella—EPBC—delivered in 85

WorkBC ESCs in 73 catchment areas across

the province.


Employment Program of BC (EPBC)


Why this study?

Ministry’s Expert Advisory Panel on Specialized Populations.

Career practitioners surveyed in report on skill requirements commissioned by CfEEBC.

Interest expressed by practitioners during CfEEBCconsultations.

Physical facilities and resources, including assistive technology, which facilitate access.

Access to services and programs relevant to client needs and goals.

Inclusive treatment in all things.


What do we mean by “accessibility”?


EPBC Caseload Numbers

Active Case Managed Specialized Populations (December 2013)

# of Case Managed Individuals (%)

All Service Plans 54,603 100%

Specialized Populations 36,849 67%

Youth 14,904 27%

Persons with a Disability 15,393 28%

Multi-Barriered 11,258 21%

Rural and Remote Populations 6,324 12%

Aboriginal People 5,445 10%

Immigrants 4,125 8%

Survivors of Violence and/or Abuse 2,829 5%

Francophone 588 1%Specialized Populations indicating a client may belong to one or more Specialized Populations groups (e.g. Youth and Immigrants): Unique counts represent a single count of the service plan.SOURCE: EPBC Monthly Report, December 2013. Province of BC, 2013.

Learn from jurisdictions with more experience (UK, US,

Australia)

Produce a resource of best practices for providers and

practitioners in BC.


Study Objectives


Study Questions

How one-stops work in other jurisdictions.

Ways to ensure that job seekers are aware of, and use, employment supports.

Ways to insure harder-to-employ job seekers get the right kind of support.

What works best in supporting specialized populations to find and retain jobs?

Good site practices.


How Did We Do It?

Literature review

One-stops

Program evaluations (recent)

Compilations of best practices

Website review

Key informant interviews

Senior Researchers (Independent and Government)

Senior staff with national provider associations

Providers who could speak to strategic initiatives

Analysis of findings


One-stop Systems: Shared Goals

Systems based on single gateway access.

Link to benefits

Payment by results (outcomes)

Use of private contractors (profit and non-profit)


US: One-stop “Career Centers”

Since 1998, Workforce Investment Act.

Prime provider + access to mandated partners (not co-located). Oversight by state & local boards. Otherwise, substantial flexibility at state and local level.

States encouraged to serve “at-risk” populations but is at the discretion of the state to choose the populations served and how to serve them.

• Referrals to built-in funding streams e.g. Vocational Rehabilitation

• Can be arrangements with community based organizations (who address non-vocational needs)

Strong advocacy support for specialized needs but system doesn’t prioritize outcomes for harder-to-employ.

Implemented June 2011

Access through Jobcentre Plus (government & linked to income benefits) offices.

After 12 months, referred to private providers in Work Programme (prime + subs model).

Provider has 2 years to achieve desired outcome, and get paid.

Competitive.

Much flexibility to innovate (fit client and labourmarket needs).


UK: Work Programme

“So the maximum payment a provider could get would be if they get someone into paid work on the first day they deal with them, and they remain there continuously for the whole two-year period.”

(Mike Daly, Oversight, Department of Work and Pensions Research Program)

JSA since 2008 but began contracting out in the ‘70s. 1998 expands to all. Outcome based. Providers have flexibility to personalize services.

JSA = 2 departures:

1. Star Rating System. Provider performance based on employment outcomes + speed + job seeker engagement. (Competitive)

2. Designation of job-seekers into 4 streams of need. The more disadvantaged, the higher the weighting.

Disadvantaged (specialist) cohorts:

Young people

Homeless

Diverse language backgrounds

Mental illness

Indigenous

Disabled

Most experience; highest ranked (OECD)


Australia: Job Services Australia (JSA)

“If they don't get the outcomes, they don't get the contract.”

(Sally Sinclair, CEO, National Employment Services Assoc. (NESA)


Australia: Remote Jobs & Communities Program

RJCP since July, 2013.

85% of job seekers and communities are indigenous.

Driven by research that JSA wasn’t working in these regions, the government introduced a “prime + subs” model.

More culturally appropriate but often inexperienced.

Research showed that indigenous job seekers were much more likely to have positive work outcomes when engaged, and that they were much more likely to be engaged when the employment staff were people they knew from the community.


BEST (AND PROMISING) PRACTICES!

SASET Culinary Arts Training Program (“Learning from Practice” CfEEBC website)


Best Practices Along the Pathway to

Employment and Beyond

Outreach Facility IntakeCase

Manage-ment

Finding and

Keeping the Job

Best/Promising Practices

• Advocacy organizations (primarily US)

• Key informants (all jurisdictions)

• High performing sites (Australia)

• 20 demonstration pilots for Stream 4 job seekers (Australia)

Accessible to reach (along public transportation corridor).

Accessible physical space.

All routes accessible.

Minimize need for physical effort.

Arrange elements to minimize hazards and inadvertent errors.

Appropriate space to accommodate people with limited mobility.


Physical Access

Accessible Facility

Bringing services to clients.

ODG to Downtown Community Courts

SASET to isolated communities

Community Partners, NYC “Job Blasts” to community organizations

Reach job seekers though linkages with community groups.


Taking It to the People

Outreach

“Once I am there, they can show me postings, they can show me resources, they can help me revamp my resume. But if I'm not there because I'm too anxious to go, they can't help me.”

(Peer support worker, Gastown Vocational Services, “Learning from Practice” web series)

Over 100,000 homeless (2006 Census). Major challenge for employment services.

A collaboration between the National Employment Services Assoc. (NESA), and Homelessness Australia (HA). Primary goal = produce a set of tools (2 kits and other resources available)

First, mutual research (views on homelessness, issues faced, employment prospects, views around collaboration).

Then moved to establishing common ground and principles, and ways to collaborate.


Case Study: The HOPE Project

“I think you need to have all of that in place because otherwise it’s very easy for relationships to break down, and particularly when there are challenges.”(Marg Lourey, NESA)

Challenges:

Lack of awareness and trust

Differences in willingness to share.

Various working relationships e.g. joint case management, co-locating staff.

Learnings?

Establish common ground & principles early on.

Need commitment to collaborate from higher

levels as well.


Case Study: The HOPE Project

“I think you need to have all of that in place because otherwise it’s very easy for relationships to break down, and particularly when there are challenges.”(Marg Lourey, NESA)

Must be welcoming and respectful to everyone, no one more nor less than another.

Let (all) job seekers know that assistance with completing forms is available.

Signs should indicate availability of assistive technology & other accommodations and resources.

Consider posting a staff list that includes photographs.

Provide pad of paper & a pen + sign indicating that those hard of hearing can write down instructions.

For those who don’t speak English (and require a translator), consider a chart with all flags of the world.


First Contact

Intake

1

“We try get the message out that everyone, no matter what their circumstance or special characteristics, is part of

the general public.”

(Brian K. Humphrey, Administrator, WorkSourceSkagit)

Some disabilities are not obvious

1/3rd job-seekers with disabilities have conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD.

Initial “triage” is crucial

Strategies include:

• Awareness training.

• Rotate trained staff.


Spotting “Hidden Vulnerabilities”

Intake

2

I suspect if you asked clients what their primary condition was, two-thirds might say it is physical disability, but if you asked about secondary or other issues, you'd start to pick up quite a high rate of depression and anxiety and stress.(Bruce Stafford, Head, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Nottingham).

The first meeting is critical for the client-staff relationship.

Connect quickly and frequently

Spend more time with job seekers when needed.

Site managers do their part by finding ways to support frequent and extended contact with more disadvantaged job seekers.


Engaging with Job-Seekers

Case Management

1

To be effective guides, coaches, and mentors, case managers must employ a wide range of skills and tools, all of which must be supported by administrative practices and policies.

Laird & Holcomb (2011)

Good interviewing skills include:

• Ask questions that require more than a “yes” or “no” answer (“describe,” “explain,” “how”).

• Ask follow-up questions, drilling down for more information.

• Be non-judgmental.

• Be sensitive to body language.

• Consider new interviewing approaches.


Engaging with Job-Seekers

Case Management

2


From the Job-seeker’s POV

Case Management

3

In a UK study conducted with ethnic minority clients, positive experiences were frequently linked to face-to-face contact with their personal adviser, preferably the same one. And, more than other clients, ethnic minority job seekers place a high value on friendliness and politeness.

Want to work with the same practitioner.

Friendly, respectful and polite (esp. new immigrant job-seekers)

Ready for their initial appointment,

Prepared to spend time and effort with them,

Seek to understand their individual circumstances, and

Adds value to their own job search efforts

Use supplemental assessment tools:

• Mental and physical ability tests.

• Work and personal values measures.

• Personality inventories.

Consider a formal, diagnostic assessment (if behaviour or assessments suggest presence of more serious disability). .

Think of assessment as an ongoing process.


Assessing Service Need

Case Management

4

Get to know the person and not just the diagnosis. (Job seeker focus group participant)

The employment plan should be a joint plan.

Treat the plan as a living document.

Training or work first? The jury is still out.

Agreement re:

• Outcomes over process targeted vocational training produces better outcomes for job seekers with more complex barriers

• Pre-employment supports tied to specific employment needs.


Case Planning

Case Management

5

“Important elements are making sure you do job search early, that you keep the motivation up, and that you focus on their preferences as opposed to ours, and we're not judging them as to whether or not they're going to be successful in that area straight away which is very demotivating for clients.”

Vanessa Parlatta, Chief Operations Officer, ORS Group

To partner agencies.

To specialists in community-based organizations (US “Disability Program Navigators”)

Collaboration models include:

• Joint case conferences and information sharing with external organizations.

• Case management teams with other organizations. Possibly co-locating staff.


Referring On…

Case Management

5

“They've got all their energy up just to come through your door, and they weren't sure how to navigate that system, and you're just going to say, ‘Go over there,’ which to them may be a more complex system or one they've experienced before negatively.”

(Brian K. Humphrey, WorkSourceAdministrator, Skagit and Island Counties)

Job developers now “employer-facing”

Strategies that work best include:

• Reverse marketing (a form of job creation)

• Sector marketing (gaining expertise)

• Social enterprise job creation.


Promising Strategies

Finding and Keeping the

Job

1

“We have a whole one-stop that's focused on the transportation and manufacturing industries, and another focused on healthcare.” (David Berman, Dir. Program Management and Policy, NYC Center for Economic Activity).

Other innovative strategies:

Use software that links skills to jobs.

Use social media to reach younger job-seekers, e.g. “job blasts.”

Network with other providers (like JDRN)


Finding the Job


Job

2

Job Developers Resource Network, “Learning from Practice,” CfEEBC website

Job retention is now a huge focus.

Good post-placement practices include:

Wage subsidies, but not to “sell” the job seeker.

Supports to improve skills and education while working.

Financial work supports to help with things like childcare and housing; medical and dental benefits.

Support that is tailored to the job seeker both before and after they start employment.

Monitoring the placement for problems and addressing these quickly when they arise.


Post Placement Practices


Job


Summing Up

There is no fixed formula of characteristics or

practices that mark out high performing sites.

Instead, a combination of many factors tends

to contribute to good practice, depending on

each service provider’s caseload, environment

and business model. (“Good Practice in Job

Services Australia” )

Foster a positive, problem-solving attitude

Encourage innovation and support learning

Make use of available resources in government and in the community

Business practices that demonstrate an ability to meet budget and

contractual arrangements.

An internal governance structure that provides opportunity for partner

agency voice and cooperation.

Support the development of staff capacity including interagency cross-

training and training to better understand client needs.


Things That Made the Most Difference


Case Study: Building Organizational

Capacity in Remote Australia

Capacity issues include:

Inexperienced governing boards.

Prime providers with no management experience nor understanding of business models.

Inter-agency issues.

Lack of understanding re roles and responsibilities, and service delivery.

We had a lot of staff that hadn't used a computer before in these remote regions…a lot of them hadn't case managed clients before. How do you address client barriers? How do you move clients through those barriers, and how do you move them into work and do that job preparation?

(Matt Clarke, Program Manager, RJCP Capacity Building Initiative, for NESA)

“There is a long history of unemployment. There are massive issues--substance abuse, anger, homelessness, and health issues.”

July, 2013. The Remote Jobs and Communities Program (RJCP)

Capacity building includes:

Working with management to understand service delivery and the various roles & responsibilities.

How to allocate caseloads.

Working with frontline staff re how to case manage, how to address client barriers, etc.

Addressing labour market realities.

How to work in a performance driven model.


Case Study: Building Organizational

Capacity in Remote Australia (NESA)

NESA RJCP Website

Recommended data practices include the following:

Collecting data that tracks job seeker satisfaction.

Reviewing records to determine whether various diverse populations participated in programs and activities in a meaningful and effective fashion.

Eliciting customer satisfaction and other feedback in a variety of ways to allow all customers the opportunity to provide it (e.g., verbal, written, electronic, via voice telephone and relay of TTY/TDD).

Establishing policies that allow for the collection of information on the degree to which the jobs obtained for participants match their employment plans.

Using forms for customer and partner feedback that specifically ask about issues customers experience in using the range of one-stop services.

Using forms for customer and partner feedback that specifically ask about whether services are effective and provide meaningful benefit.


Summing Up: Data Collection and Evaluation

The field of employment services is constantly evolving.

All jurisdictions strive to provide a high level of services.

How a program is implemented makes a big difference.

Good organizational attributes = strong leadership, organizational resources and staff capacity, culture and climate, and the involvement of an outside monitor or “fixer.”


Conclusion

“A simple but essential truth about program implementation is that it happens inside local organizations.”

THANK YOU!



Resource Room

Provide clear, color-coded signs for each area and piece of equipment or assistive technology.

Ensure that Resource Room staff are aware of the various assistive technology devices available, and how to use them.

Ensure that the Resource Room staff are aware of the various pre-installed accessibility features on all computers (e.g., sticky keys, filter keys, toggle keys, mouse keys, screen enlargement, pointer enlarger, etc.), and how these can be used to meet individual customer needs.

Install speech output software in as many workstations as possible, and include headphones with each workstation.

Include images of computer graphics and picture icons in the written instructions for computer programs and functions. This will help individuals match the text with what they are seeing on the screen.

Ensure that videos have closed captioning.

Use a color-coding system to make it easier for customers to find resource materials.

Compile a “low-tech” toolkit for the resource room that customers can use to help them organize their materials. Include rulers, color dots, post-it notes of various colors, and pen grips.


Capacity Training (US Institute for Community

Inclusion)

Training staff members about the range of service delivery options available to job seekers with multiple barriers to employment,

Cross-training to promote relationship-building between various partner agencies.

Ensuring that partner agencies provide their staff with training about serving customers with particular barriers to employment, such as disability or limited English proficiency.

Training staff to use nontraditional assessment strategies that maintain a focus on customer strengths.

Training specific personnel to coordinate planning teams for customers with more significant needs.

Ensuring that staff performance evaluations include requirements that staff have participated in training on effectively serving customers with particular barriers to employment.

Training staff about how to procure and use various types of equipment and materials for assisting customers with unique needs such as people with disabilities.

Training staff on communicating effectively with individuals with limited English proficiency and resources for interpretation and translation services.

43

To submit your question:

Please use the “Questions” tab to the right of your screen.

Questions and Discussion

44

We are taking a break from our monthly webinar series in June but will be back in July.

Topic: Results from the Motivational Interviewing Pilot Project

Presenter: Dr. Reuben Ford, Social Research and Demonstration Corporation

Keep an eye on our website and newsletter for an announcement about registration.

Next Webinar – July 23rd

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Continue the conversation at www.cfeebc.org.

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